-Originally in skeps (our family had 60) and then into cottage hives (north) and W.B.C (south). -Swapping sites with feral bees and often mated with feral drones. -Very small broodnests (6 frames). -Kept for sections (comb honey) which they hated because they were designed by humans. -Prone to swarm every year. Often got good crops…
Honey Facts from the Chain Bridge Honey Farm Honey is a unique natural product made by honeybees and although it has been analysed is has proved impossible to make synthetic honey. Bees collect nectar from flowers and by adding enzymes which change the sugar content and evaporating off excess water, they convert it into honey.…
The Union Chain Bridge, after which the Chain Bridge Honey is named, celebrates its 200th birthday on Sunday. Here is a link to The Friends of the Union Chain Bridge newsletter with more information: Friends UCB – Newsletter – July 2020(4) Subscribe to our Newsletter
A Discussion on Swarming by W.S. Robson Bees will swarm for several reasons. Firstly, there is absconding which is caused by the sun beating onto the front of the hive when the wind is in the south (in the UK). No queen cells are built until after the swarm has left (Eggs in queen cups)…
Summer Forage for the Bees Over recent weeks we have achieved a great deal with our bees because of a spell of good weather. Many young queens have been introduced into small hives (nuclei) and are now mated and hopefully will make good colonies next spring. The weather has changed to such a degree that…
Visitor Information We enjoy some very busy summers with lots of tourists visiting our honey farm, particularly during the school holidays. However because of the COVID 19 pandemic our visitor centre has been closed since March. Our staff have continued to work onsite, this includes beekeepers, production staff and admin staff. Now, despite the easing…
The Union Chain Bridge celebrates its bicentenary on 26th July 2020. Here is a worksheet you can download and print off at home to learn a bit more about this fantastic bridge: Chain Bridge Worksheet Subscribe to our Newsletter
How the Changeable Spring Weather Affects Our Bees We are still going through difficult times with our bees. Daytime temperatures are up to 17 degrees c, whereas at night it is down to 0 degrees c, often with a north wind behind it. The bees have to maintain the temperature in the brood chamber at…
We have now taken bees to the oil seed rape for 50 years. We cannot avoid this crop because there are so many fields in the Tweed Valley. But we need to take the bees into the fields to get them away from the bitter North Easterly winds that have gone on now for a…
Here is beekeeper and Chain Bridge Honey Farm owner Willie Robson looking through the bees in a Spring site close to the Honey Farm. Willie is looking in the brood chamber where the queen has laid eggs which will hatch into young bees. Some of the brood will hatch into drones (males) and some will be…
